Clinical Research Directory

Browse clinical research sites, groups, and studies.

Sites Groups Studies

Back to Studies

RECRUITING

NCT05684094

Mechanisms of Risky Alcohol Use in Young Adults: Linking Sleep to Reward- and Stress-Related Brain Function

Sponsor: University of Oregon

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

This research will use biobehavioral approaches to generate understanding about the linkages between stressful life events, sleep duration and timing, and alcohol use in young adults, with a long-term aim of developing effective preventative interventions for alcohol use disorders.

Official title: Mechanisms of Risky Alcohol Use in Young Adults: Linking Sleep Duration and Timing to Reward- and Stress-Related Brain Function

Key Details

Gender

All

Age Range

18 Years - 24 Years

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Enrollment

Start Date

2023-09-07

Completion Date

2027-02-28

Last Updated

2026-02-27

Healthy Volunteers

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Sleep extension and advance

Participants in the sleep extension and advance condition will maintain a stable sleep schedule that extends sleep duration and advances bedtime by 90 min relative to weekday bedtime. This chronotherapeutic manipulation will include blocking phase-delaying light in the evening using goggles with orange lenses ("blue blockers") beginning 2 h prior to bedtime, and 30 min of 506 lux blue-green light exposure in the morning beginning at rise time using bright light goggles (ReTimer Pty Ltd., Australia). Schedule and chronotherapy adherence will be reinforced using motivational techniques (e.g., securing motivation, preplanning, problem-solving), requiring participants to text the study coordinator and complete morning assessments at rise time, and monetary incentives.

BEHAVIORAL

Regular sleep duration and timing

Participants in the regular sleep duration and timing condition will keep a stable sleep schedule that matches their typical weekday sleep opportunity and timing. Schedule adherence will be reinforced using motivational techniques (e.g., securing motivation, preplanning, problem-solving), requiring participants to text the study coordinator and complete morning assessments at rise time, and monetary incentives.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. 18-24 years of age; 2. NIAAA criteria for past-month high-risk drinking (i.e., ≥ 4 drinks/day or ≥ 8/week for women, ≥ 5 drinks/day or ≥ 15/week for men); 3. short and late sleep (weekday sleep duration ≤ 7.5 hours and bedtime ≥ 24:00 (midnight); n=60) or long and early sleep (weekday sleep duration \> 7.5 hours and bedtime ≤ 24:00 (midnight); n=30); 4. at least moderate lifetime exposure to stressors (≥ 2 events on the 20-item Adult Stress and Adversity Inventory-Screener); 5. not currently in high school; and 6. English language fluency. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) and/or substance use disorder (SUD), defined as ≥6 AUD/SUD criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5; 2. acute alcohol intoxication on the days of the laboratory post-intensive visits, operationalized as a blood alcohol concentration of .02 or higher during Breathalyzer saliva screen; 3. current clinician-provided diagnosis of narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia; 4. lifetime diagnosis of bipolar or schizophrenia spectrum disorder; 5. certain medical conditions (e.g., serious neurological disorder, heart failure or serious trouble, history of head injury with unconsciousness \> 5 minutes); 6. conditions that are contraindicated for MRI (e.g., ferrous metal in the body); 7. positive screen for participant-reported eye disease, epilepsy, or photosensitizing medications that are contraindicated during the manipulation condition when bright light is administered (e.g., psychiatric neuroleptic drugs \[e.g., phenothiazine\], psoralen drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs \[e.g., amiodarone\], antimalarial and antirheumatic drugs, porphyrin drugs used in photodynamic treatment of skin diseases); 8. use of melatonin if participant is not willing to discontinue use for the duration of the study. We will schedule around (i.e., delay appointments as needed) to avoid the timeframe of the following events: 1. urgent suicide risk, defined by moderate/severe risk per CSSR and clinician determination that current risk requires immediate action; 2. travel across two or more time zones within the month prior to the overnight study visits. 3. begin/end a prescribed medication within 2 months of the observational study; 4. medication dose changes within the timeframe calculated as 5x the drug's half-life \[the time to reach pharmacokinetic steady-state\] before the initiation of the observational or experimental studies; 5. participant-anticipated changes in prescribed medications or medication dosing during the observational or experimental studies.; 6. current symptoms of an airborne infectious illness (e.g., COVID) prior to laboratory visits. Participants with positive breathalyzer screen (blood alcohol level \> .02) will be rescheduled for an alternative overnight visit date.

Locations (1)

Oregon Sleep Lab

Eugene, Oregon, United States